January 2008 Shiny New Year Toddlers - Oh for a minutes peace!!

[Lilyloo]

[Lilyloo]

JKS i had forgotten all about voting and now dc's in bed , whoops!

MM hope the journey was ok and she isn't too bad.

Simps add another from me , if it's anything like TC it could be any amount

JKS hope H settles better for you tonight!

Ange well done on last night , hopefully it will go as well if not better tonight!

Hope this title ok with everyone!

Had manic day here. M up at 5.45 so decided to blitz my room before the others got up. And the rest of the day spiralled form there. Have cleared all outgrown clothes of all dc's , cleaned their rooms , washed and dried all bedding etc etc Then H had 2 friends home from school for tea. am tired now so relaxing here

[simpson]

Another one relaxing here too

Lilyloo - the thing I am going to find tough (I think) is that the money CB, CTC, IS etc all goes in at different times ie dribs and drabs. Am used to one amount going in then bills etc coming out iyswim.

Now I am going to have to plan things a bit more..and to confuse things CB & CTC go into one a/c and the rest into another Which is my fault BTW but too late to change now, would just delay things even more...

[LaTrucha]

Hello new thread!

DH home tomorrow. I'm trying to show off what I've done in the house. Essentially, that means making sure it's tidy.

Was at a toddler group today with all the babies between 11 and 18 months. Sabela was the only one not walking. In fact not pulling herself up or crawling wither. I KNOW she'll do it in her own time, and I know life will be much riskier when she does start but when oh when is it going to happen?

She'll be 'finger walked' until the cows some home but won't do it for herself. Should I just leave her to get frustrated? If I'm in the room she just squawks at me until I come.

That sounds like a good house cleaning day Lily!

[simpson]

LaT - M not even really finger walking TBH.

She does pull herself up to standing (holding onto something obv.) and the last couple of days has been trying to stand alone but can't manage more than one second

Doesn't deter her though, she keeps trying!!

How old were you when you walked? I didn't walk till 22mths so think M might be like me!!

Also does she have a trolley type thing to push and walk with iyswim. That might help.

M also very into ride on toys ATM but can only go backwards...and very slowly!!

[Gingeme]

Hi ladies. Love the new title
Well Ive had a mixture of a day today. Went to my gp this morning because I have been getting pains in my chest by my heart and just lately palpitations and heart burn. She is sending me for an ECG and blood tests to check my cholesterol and blood count and diabetes. She said don't panic as it could be something as simple as indigestion or muscle strain. The thing she was worried about is the pains I get in my left breast which is a sign of heart disease It doesn't help half my Dads family have dropped dead due to heart disease Mum had a near fatal heart attack 10 years ago and Dad had angi plasti 8 years ago.
But on a better note my Dad and I took the boys to our local aquatic centre as he is after an aquarium. They had massive koi carp which to be honest make me feel a bit sick but the boys just loved them and were allowed to tickle them boak....
Plus there was a reptile place next door which I found fascinating. I have always wanted a snake and they must have had a bout 1000 different types in there and allsorts of lizards and tiny chameleons which were so cute
Anyway were going back up there Sunday for my Dad to collect his tank.
Enough of my waffling. Off for a bath now
Hope you all have better nights xx

[Lilyloo]

Simps you can get tc and cb paid 4 weekly if that helps ???
Guess you will find your way eventually. Does this mean end of the road with dh ?? (feel free to ignore)

LaT i guess it won't do any harm to leave her a little longer to get frustrated , maybe out a walk along toy or something within her reach ??? All mine have walked earlier than M tbh so not much use sorry.
M still not saying any words. She does mutter a mmm which i think is mum and her version of H and L but that's it. She also tends to stick/hang her tongue out quite a lot (family commented on it when we were away last week too) not sure what that's all about. Who knows, babys eh

[Lilyloo]

Sorry Gingeme x post
Hope it's nothing too serious! I cannot do fish or reptiles (i actually killed H two goldfish accidentally by making the water too warm when i cleaned the tank )

[LaTrucha]

Sabela has this and this. She loves the horse, but won't touch the other thing if made into a walker. Or her trolley of bricks. It's like she knows what we're trying to encourage her to do and doesn't want to know. As for the 'pass the baby back and forth and persuade her to take steps' - she did it once and loved it and since then point blank refuses. She just sits down.

I'm very loathe to do anything to encourage her because of this. She cottons on in a moment and just WON'T.

I walked around a year, I think. DH's family were all early walkers too.

She's just going to carry on in her own sweet way I guess.

Do you think I should leave her by herself more? I feel like a really rubbish mum when I do that, but maybe I do too much for her?

I'm guessing you walk ok now though ?

[LaTrucha]

p.s. What toys are your LOs loving now?

[simpson]

LaT - LOL at Sabela knowing what she wants/won't do etc...reminds me of M

The one thing Molly does love is a small plastic chair (is J's) and she can now climb on it by herself. Might be worth a try as it doesn't move iyswim and might get her standing holding it....

Yes M is now left to amuse herself quite a bit, although I have to watch her as if J has a toy she wants she will bite him

Gingeme - am with you on the fish thing and TBH am pissed off I have been left with DH's fish to look after but would feel a bit cruel if I flushed them down loo or something!!

Lilyloo - Yes its deffo over. I asked him to go to Ireland for some space and then was happier when he had gone, just worried I will get enough money/benefits for mortgage etc...

Told j yesterday that H not going to be living here anymore which I think he understood. I waited for him to ask as I thought it would sink in better iyswim.

[simpson]

Lilyloo - am getting all money every 4wks but CTC, IS and CB all still go in on different dates. Grrr....

[Lilyloo]

Good idea with J just take it at his pace and answer as he asks i guess!

LaT M loves our ELC kitchen at the mo everything of hers is never looked at tbh!
Oh and climbing on the kitchen table and the trampoline is a current favourite. She then cries until anyone else on there stops jumping so she can run around it

[simpson]

M loves her stacking beakers, toy drum ( I did not buy it!!), ride on toy and J's plastic chair (going to get her own one next wk)& aquadraw. Any pop up book is a hit!!

She also likes the same drawing toy thingie that Sabela has.

Lilyloo - H been gone nearly a month and initially I told J daddy gone to stay with granny in Ireland and he didn't really ask again till yesterday.

TBH the thing I am finding tough is that H has not contacted me to ask how kids are etc...

[LaTrucha]

Thanks guys

She does walk ALL DAY holding my hands and cruises round the furniture constantly.

She also is practicing sitting down really, really carefully. I think that before she gets up she wants to knwo how she's getting down. Reasonable, i suppose.

Simpson - that is tough. How are things for you in yourself?

Lily - off to have a look at that kitchen, although I think it's probably about the size of our living room!

[simpson]

I have toy kitchen in loft amongst other things!!(as you all know about!!) it will come out for M's 2nd birthday. Not ELC one though, got it from The Entertainer.

LaT - TBH have found the last couple of days tough as I don't know any other single parents iyswim. But have done well keeping myself busy etc and know its the right choice for me too. Just worry it may not be right choice for kids being without a dad

How about a pull along toy?

Would that encourage Sabela?

Also think M would be even slower than she is being without J as she wants to copy him...

[Lilyloo]

Simps i think it will be tough but if it's not right for you it wouldn't be right for the kids either.
Has he any plans to come back to see the kids ? I suppose he will use his depression as the reason for not getting in touch r/e kids ??? No help to them or you though!

LaT i have had more than my moneys worth out of that kitchen with all 3 dc's! What time dh home tom ? Is house ready ?

[LaTrucha]

Simpson - it's a really tough decision to make. Would it be any better for them to be around a Dad who's not really up to it? And a mum who's stressed about Dad? I hope it's never a decision that I have to make, but you will know what is best for your children and that will be your bottom line. I know I've not yet met you in RL but I think I know you well enough to say that.

Lily - Well, the house is as ready as I cna make it. I'm just really worried he won't see the diffrence because a lot of it has been a matter of clearing cupboards etc.. It's the kind of thing where you think for a few days how different and great it is and then you can't appreciate it any more because you can't remember what it was like before. At least we can get on with the major jobs now.

I really want a cheap doll's tea set. She saw a doll's cup and saucer at a friend's hous eand you would have thought she'd been presented with the Hope diamond. All the ones I can find online are too fancy. Might trawl the pound shops tomorrow.

[simpson]

H is supposed to be back in London next week and has booked flight/ B&B etc for appt with work.

But BIL told me this not H Don't know whether he is going to want to see kids...

Not saying anything in case it gets up J's hopes..

Also M is much happier since H gone, not so much hard work etc. obv. was feeling tension

Heard from madmouse BTW she is doing ok.

[LaTrucha]

Well, there you go then. And if J hasn't asked either, maybe it's easier for him too although not something he can quite say.

[simpson]

Just hoping j isn't keeping back what he is really thinking

He is very clingy to me especially in Poland (different surroundings)

Ie he won't wait outside a shop for me to go in (usual corner shop him outside with M in buggy)while i literally go to till near window.

And at Milkshake couldn't go to loo by myself and leave him with my dad he had to come with me...

[AngeChica]

Morning

Well DS slept through til 5.15 this morn. I went in & resettled a couple of times because my idea was to count any waking before 6am as too early, but he didn't really settle.

I have to say that's probably hard for him to understand when it's broad daylight by then (although he has a blackout blind I think they can still tell) and the road traffic has started up etc.

So got up at 6, gave him some milk and he promptly fell asleep on my knee for 2 more hours... I guess i should have put him back in the cot but it was nice to have a cuddle TBH!

I guess the main objective of keeping him out of our bed was achieved. So if we can keep doing that without too much grief it'll be easier than I imagined.

Well best go as DS has just filled his nappy and is bouncing on his zebra - niiiiiice.

[Gingeme]

Afternoon ladies.
Had a crap night with George he woke at 1.30 so I decided to try pick up put down. Took an hour of him screaming and squirming. DH stepped in and re settled him. He woke again at 5.30 crying so I thought o give him a bottle but he refused it so I got more and more cross and flung him on our bed and said to DH 'there you go you can have him' and I layed down on the bed. DH tried his bottle again but he refused it and was chatting and smiling by now so DH got up with him . I went back to sleep till 7.30 when the other two got up.
DH went back to bed when I took George to playgroup. Hes asleep now with Edward.
On the toy front George is loving playing with anything that isn't his atm.
Right off for some lunch. Got the washing machine man coming this afternoon between 2 and 4. Whats the betting its 3 when I'm collecting David ? x

[JustKeepSwimming]

Ange - you're doing well, keep it up (and be prepared for a bad night soon just in case....)

G - poor you hope you get a better night tonight. and the man doesn't turn up at 3!

H mostly slept through last night - DH & I went out for dinner and drank too much wine so i don't think i heard H at all , DH said he heard him whimper about 2 but left him and he went back to sleep. he did have some calpol night at bedtime and i think i will play safe and give him some tonight too and see how he is tomorrow.
Tomorrow he goes up with the epilepsy drugs too, hoping it will kick in quickly and stop the nods as he's been having lots more of those the last few days & sleeping more as a result.

anyway, a while back Dh was meant to go to his parents with T for a weekend and leave me and H but it got cancelled. so, he's gone this weekend
just me & H, peace!

Going to get lots done hopefully and lots of lying about in bed (bath & bed with book for this morning's nap ).

Off to Aldi in a bit - can't face it there with T running around as they don't have double trolleys. saw a thread about camping stuff there cheap and have vague plans to try camping over the summer - have big tent gathering dust upstairs!

Simps - you are doing so well you know, i know life is less stressful without the worry of your H, but still you have dealt with things so calmly. (hug) Sure J will calm down as he settles into the new way of things.

hi everyone else, must hurry or H will want to be back in bed before i get out of the house!

[LaTrucha]

Simpson - I'm sorry if I upset you. I didn't really mean it like that. He's so wee, he probably hasn't eveb thought it, let alone thought about finding the owrds. I meant he's probably finding life a bit strange without quite knowing why. Let him cling and I'm sure he'll be fine.

Gingeme - it IS wearing isn't it? Glad to find I'm not the only one who loses it on occasion.

Ange - they are tricky little buggers to predict, aren't they? You're doing well. He'll get the hang of it.

JKS - hope the meds work out ok. I have a similar problem in Lidl as they have no baskets and S is always in the pushchair. Ver awkward and usually ends up with S cuddling a packet of pasta while gleefully throwing tomatoes out of the pram.

Well, I don't know if it's a reaction to DH coming home but I feel rubbish today. I think I've got a bit of a bug. Sabela is also consistently waking at 5.30. I think I'm going to try the 'wake to sleep' thing with S once DH is here. I didn't have the courage to do it alone. I can just see her beiong stirred at 4.30 and thinking hooray it's playtime, while I descend into despair.

Madly looking forward to seeing DH though. I got a butterflies feeling whne I saw a photo of him yesterday. Nice to knwo it's still there! I got a really sinking feeling last night as we were discussing dates for his next trip. He'll only be at home 10 days! I guess it's been tougher than I thought.

[LuckySalem]

Hi all,

Sorry for being a stranger but MN won't load for me.

I went away for the weekend to see my uncle in Newmarket - gorgeous sunny weekend with BBQs and alsorts. They live and work on a race horse stud farm so me and aaliyah went on a LONG SLOW walk around the farm. It took us about 3 hours and I think we only got around 1/2 of it. She loved the horses till one of them tried to eat her winnie the pooh
She got to spend time with dogs and cats and we couldn't tear her away from the dogs. We spent the weekend in a tent and ended up with one of the dogs sleeping with us Needless to say I'm bugging DP again about having a dog. (he didn't come with us so doesn't believe me)

DP is getting a promotion on Monday (as long as the personel manager gives the final ok) He has to do a 12wk placement at the store as a manager and then moves up to £28k so we're hoping to get a new car, finish the house and move within the next 18months. Gonna be really busy.

DD has become a little buggar and has started hitting when she's naggy so I'm looking for a bean bag to put her on when she starts stropping. We did have some success with the travel cot but it takes up too much room.
She has learnt so many more words and communicates with us really well now which is leading to less strops but when she does strop they're hard to deal with.
We're kinda potty training in that I take the nappy off and let her wander around hoping that she'll take herself to her potty. Its not worked yet but she's stopped weeing while the nappy is off and prefers to hold it till I put the nappy on (then its a MASSIVE NAPPY within about 1/2 hr)

Simps - Sorry to hear about your decision. I agree with the consensus though, The kids will have known something was wrong so its probably better for them.

MM - Sorry about your MIL. Hope your ok.

I know there are more things I was going to say to everyone but my msg has become a write-up and i've forgotten so my apologies.

I have a quick question for you though if you dont mind.

Do you have any experience with sky broadband and talk? I've heard the Customer Services are shocking but hows the actual service?

Hugs to all.